CSL Consultancy
Charlotte is an experienced consultant with over 20 years’ experience working in or with the voluntary, community and public sectors at both a local and national level. Charlotte is passionate about engaging with individuals, communities and organisations; enabling them to create and work towards the goals and aspirations that are important to them. Charlotte is skilled at working alongside a wide range of stakeholders; often bringing people together with conflicting views or competing priorities and keeping them talking until a way forwards is found that is, where possible, acceptable to all. Charlotte is experienced in community development; she is a Health Issues in the Community Instructor, this is an accredited training course that enables participants to develop their understanding of the range of factors that affect their health and that of their communities and to explore how these factors can be addressed using community development approaches
Charlotte has a strong background in quality assurance and evaluation including; developing internal monitoring and self-assessment systems and leading teams to carry out independent evaluations. Charlotte has an established reputation for taking a sensitive inclusive approach, producing well researched findings and suggesting achievable development recommendations.
Charlotte established CSL Consultancy in 2006, she operates across the UK offering:
Training - tailored to meet the needs of your organisation
Independent evaluation – helping you to demonstrate the quality and impact of the services or support you deliver and identify areas for development or improvement
Development Support - helping you to plan, manage and review the services and support you offer. This can include interim management and external supervision for managers and staff
Community engagement – organising and facilitating small and large events
Social research - helping you to understand your clients’ or potential clients’ experience, opinions, attitudes or behaviour
Inclusion Scotland, The Conservation Volunteers, Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association, Life Changes Trust, Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance, the Stroke Association, Scottish Government, Health and Happiness in the Highlands, Advocacy Western Isles, Argyll Third Sector Interface, Positive Action in Housing, Angus Independent Advocacy.
Temporary People Led Policy Panel Officer – whilst a permanent officer was being recruited. Supporting panel member’s engagement in policy discussions with key stakeholders and decision makers around adult social care support and healthcare in the context of the increased attention and weight that these topics were given because of COVID-19. Feeding the lived experience of panel members into Inclusion Scotland’s policy and research report on COVID-19 and adult social care support.
Independent Evaluator for a Community Rewilding Project for The Conservation Volunteers that drew heavily on information gathered by staff supplemented by observations of project activities and interviews with key stakeholders.
Quality Assurance Co-ordinator for the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance, Charlotte developed and piloted a quality assurance process for independent advocacy organisations across Scotland. Supporting organisations to understand and complete a self-assessment to demonstrate how well they were meeting national standards and identify areas for improvement or development. Recruiting, training and supporting a team of sessional evaluators including service users and advocacy commissioners.
Social Researcher an Exploratory study about independent advocacy and dementia for the Life Changes Trust. As well as increasing knowledge about this vital area of provision, the report was used to help the Trust decide on further investment and influencing activities.
Independent evaluator for Health and Happiness in the Highlands ‘Community Connectors Project ‘over a 5-year period. Their values and approach were based firmly in Asset Based Community Development, built on the dreams of local adults with learning disabilities to improve quality of life and make positive change happen.
Advocacy and User Involvement Manager for the Stroke Association in Scotland, which included training and supporting stroke survivors and carers to take on the role of evaluators for pilot stroke advocacy projects, as researchers, co-trainers and in gathering personal stories.